PROGRAM MANAGER
Energy Efficiency Workforce Development
Location: Grand Rapids
Work Model
Employment Type
Michigan
Hybrid
Full-Time
Position Summary
The JPI Group is seeking an experienced Program Manager to support the implementation and delivery of an energy efficiency workforce development program in Michigan. This position oversees day-to-day program operations, coordinates training and employer partnerships, supports participant recruitment and retention, and helps ensure timely achievement of contractual deliverables and performance measures.
The Program Manager serves as a primary point of contact for clients, program partners, training providers, employers, community-based organizations, subcontractors, and internal teams. The ideal candidate brings experience in workforce development, project or program management, and stakeholder engagement, together with knowledge of energy efficiency career pathways and Michigan's workforce development ecosystem.
Work Arrangement: This is a Michigan-based hybrid position requiring regular in-person engagement and statewide travel based on program and business needs. The selected candidate must be able to reliably travel to meetings, training sites, employer locations, community events, and other program activities throughout Michigan.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities
Program Management and Implementation
- Manage day-to-day program implementation in alignment with contractual requirements, approved objectives, budgets, and established timelines.
- Develop and maintain project plans, implementation schedules, deliverable trackers, risk logs, and performance dashboards.
- Coordinate activities across internal teams, subcontractors, training providers, clients, employers, and external partners.
- Monitor program performance, identify implementation challenges, and develop or recommend corrective action plans.
- Facilitate program meetings, document decisions, assign action items, and track follow-up through completion.
- Support budget monitoring, resource allocation, subcontractor coordination, and invoice review in accordance with established approval processes.
Workforce Recruitment and Participant Engagement
- Develop and execute targeted, inclusive recruitment strategies to attract eligible participants into energy efficiency training and career pathways.
- Establish and maintain relationships with Michigan Works! agencies, community colleges, adult education providers, workforce development organizations, and community-based partners.
- Coordinate participant outreach, intake, eligibility screening, enrollment, and onboarding in accordance with program requirements.
- Monitor recruitment pipelines, enrollment trends, training attendance, completion, and participant retention.
- Identify participation barriers, including transportation, childcare, scheduling, and technology access, and coordinate available support services consistent with program guidelines.
- Implement data-informed strategies to improve recruitment, training completion, credential attainment, placement, and retention outcomes.
Employer Engagement and Industry Partnerships
- Build and maintain relationships with energy efficiency contractors, HVAC companies, utilities, trade associations, and clean energy employers throughout Michigan.
- Identify employer workforce needs and align training and career pathway activities with documented industry demand.
- Support employer participation in work-based learning, internships, registered apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, and job placement activities, as applicable to the approved program design.
- Coordinate employer engagement events, information sessions, interviews, and recruitment activities.
- Track employer participation, hiring commitments, placements, and employment outcomes in accordance with program reporting standards.
Training Coordination
- Coordinate with training providers to support implementation of approved curricula, schedules, and participant communications.
- Monitor training capacity, attendance, completion rates, credential attainment, and participant feedback.
- Support alignment of training content with employer expectations, applicable safety requirements, and recognized industry competencies.
- Coordinate instructional resources, learning management systems, training materials, and logistics.
- Identify opportunities to improve training delivery based on participant feedback, employer input, and performance data.
- Support career pathways into energy auditing, weatherization, HVAC installation and maintenance, building performance, and related energy efficiency occupations.
Data Management, Reporting, and Compliance
- Maintain accurate, complete, and timely program records and performance data in designated systems.
- Track agreed performance indicators, including recruitment, eligibility, enrollment, training completion, credential attainment, job placement, and participant retention.
- Prepare weekly, monthly, quarterly, and other required reports according to established reporting schedules.
- Monitor progress against contractual deliverables, approved budgets, and performance targets.
- Follow applicable program guidelines, contractual requirements, data privacy and security practices, record-retention requirements, and documentation standards.
- Identify performance gaps and provide data-informed recommendations for continuous improvement.
- Support program reviews, monitoring visits, audits, and funder or client reporting activities as required.
Stakeholder Communication and Collaboration
- Serve as a central point of coordination among the client, internal project team, subcontractors, training providers, employers, and external stakeholders.
- Prepare meeting agendas, status updates, presentations, executive summaries, and progress reports.
- Communicate program milestones, challenges, risks, decisions, and proposed solutions to leadership and appropriate stakeholders.
- Coordinate outreach and engagement activities across Michigan's workforce development ecosystem.
- Represent the program professionally at meetings, community events, employer convenings, training activities, and industry forums.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in workforce development, business administration, public administration, education, project management, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and relevant experience.
- Three to five years of relevant experience in workforce development, program management, project management, training implementation, employer engagement, or a related field.
- Demonstrated experience coordinating multiple stakeholders, project deliverables, timelines, and competing priorities.
- Experience supporting training programs, participant recruitment, employer engagement, workforce partnerships, or career pathway initiatives.
- Working knowledge of workforce development systems, career pathways, and employment-related support services.
- Experience with program performance tracking, data analysis, documentation, and reporting.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.
- Strong written and verbal communication, organizational, facilitation, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work independently, manage deadlines, and collaborate with geographically distributed teams.
- Ability to travel throughout Michigan as required and to perform the position's essential functions with or without reasonable accommodation.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting utility-sponsored energy efficiency programs, clean energy workforce initiatives, or federally or state-funded workforce development programs.
- Familiarity with Michigan's workforce development ecosystem, including Michigan Works! agencies, community colleges, and relevant industry partners.
- Knowledge of energy efficiency occupations, including HVAC, weatherization, energy auditing, and building performance.
- Experience supporting programs that expand access to employment for communities or individuals facing employment barriers.
- Familiarity with registered apprenticeship programs, industry-recognized credentials, and work-based learning models.
- Experience working with utility companies, implementation contractors, or energy efficiency program administrators.
- Project Management Professional, Certified Workforce Development Professional, or comparable professional certification.
- Experience using Microsoft Planner, SharePoint, Power BI, Salesforce, or similar project management and data-tracking platforms.
Work Environment and Travel
- This is a hybrid position based in Michigan, with remote and in-person work determined by program and business needs.
- Regular statewide travel is an essential function of the role. Travel may include employer locations, training sites, partner offices, community events, and client meetings.
- Occasional evening, early-morning, or overnight travel may be required based on scheduled program activities.
- Work arrangements and schedules may be adjusted to meet operational, client, or contractual requirements.
Physical Requirements and Reasonable Accommodation
The position requires the ability to perform the essential functions described in this job description, with or without reasonable accommodation. The JPI Group will consider reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities in accordance with applicable law. Travel-related and in-person duties are subject to the same accommodation process.
Equal Employment Opportunity
The JPI Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, height, weight, marital status, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. This commitment applies to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, compensation, training, transfer, leave, discipline, termination, and other terms and conditions of employment.
Job Description Disclaimer
This job description describes the general nature and level of work expected for this position. It is not intended to create a contract of employment or to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, qualifications, or performance expectations. Duties may be added, removed, or modified based on legitimate business, client, contractual, or program needs, consistent with applicable law. Employment with The JPI Group remains subject to applicable company policies and governing law.